The mystery of the velvet pouch
When it comes to copywriting, the method of the velvet pouch is possibly the sexiest, most effective, and most profitable way to create curiosity. It certainly seems to be very prevalent on the Internet today, particularly in long-form sales letters and VSLs.
I found out about the velvet pouch technique from Michael Masterson’s and John Forde’s Great Leads. Masterson and Forde use this story to kick off their chapter on what they call the secret lead. In other words, the velvet pouch is all about the mystery and intrigue that builds up when a secret is hovering around in the air.
There also seems to be a fundamental human hunger for secrets, even if they aren’t clearly associated with any benefits. That also explains why “secret” and “mystery” are marketing power words that can in many ways make a headline on their own.
